Compact Near-Infrared Imaging Device Based on a Large-Aperture All-Si Metalens

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional near-infrared (NIR) imaging systems are bulky due to refractive lenses, limiting their applications.
• Compact integrated devices using NIR meta-optics are underdeveloped, despite the potential of meta-optics.
• There is a need for miniaturized and lightweight NIR imaging solutions for medical and security fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate an integrated NIR imaging camera utilizing a large-size metalens.
• To verify the imaging performance of the metalens-based camera for biological samples.
• To highlight the potential of the developed device for miniaturized NIR optical imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a large-size metalens with silicon nanostructures for high transmission efficiency.
• Integration of the metalens into a compact NIR imaging camera system.
• Experimental validation using target detection, biological tissue samples, and human venous imaging.

Main Results:

• The integrated NIR camera successfully captured biological structures with high imaging performance.
• The device demonstrated significant reductions in size and weight compared to traditional systems.
• Optimized aperture achieved excellent image brightness and contrast, with successful human venous imaging.

Conclusions:

• The developed metalens-based NIR imaging camera offers a miniaturized and lightweight alternative to conventional devices.
• The high-efficiency silicon nanostructure metalens enables advanced imaging capabilities for biological and medical applications.
• This research paves the way for broader adoption of NIR imaging in medical testing and night vision.